Clare County Fair showcases youth sheep during market classes

Zoe Hippler, 8, of Clare holds her lamb Dancer during the Clare County 4-H Junior Livestock Sheep Market Class in Harrison Monday, July 29, 2013. "I named him Dancer because he leaps a little bit like a frog but looks like a dancer," said Hippler. Hippler won a blue ribbon with Dancer. (Sun photo by KEN KADWELL/@KenKadwell).

Zoe Hippler dug her feet deep into the ground and held Dancer tightly around his neck, pushing him forward.

Initially resisting, Dancer moved his body forward and laid on the ground.

Together, 8-year-old Zoe and Dancer took home a first place ribbon and Reserve Champion at the Clare County Fair Monday afternoon.

“I’ve never gotten Champion or Reserve before, and I’ve never even gotten a first place ribbon,” she said.

Advertisement

Zoe, one of about 35 children under 18 to show a lamb at the youth sheep market classes, said winning the award felt really good.

Stacey DeMoines, president of the Clare County Junior Livestock Association, said that caring for their animals and showing them teaches children to sell themselves, care for other creatures and helps them to learn social skills.

“A kid that raises an animal becomes a better person for it,” she said. “It’s a wonderful experience for them to go through together, all of them as a community.”

Zoe spent a lot of time preparing her lamb for the fair.

In order to get Dancer ready, she shaved him really close and washed him really well.

After the washing was done, she put a cold wet blanket across his back to firm him up, she said.

“I named him that because it looks like he’s dancing sometimes when he’s happy,” she explained. “Like, when he’s running to go do something, he ... just leaps. It’s so cute.”

Zoe said dancer also loves to be scratched “like a puppy dog.”

DeMoines said all the children who showed are residents of Clare and Gladwin Counties.

She said the children lead their lambs into the arena, set them up and stretch them out.

“The judge is looking for how long they are, how deep they are and their muscle tone,” she said.

The lambs are divided into classes by weight.

It’s a requirement that each participant raise the lamb on their own, and have that animal in their possession for at least 90 days.

While Monday’s market class just judges animals, Wednesday’s showmanship classes judge the way in which each animal is handled, DeMoines said.

The showmanship classes will begin at 1 p.m. in the same place as the market classes, the Clare County Livestock Live Animal Barn.

The Clare County fair runs through Aug. 3 at the Clare County Fairgrounds, 418 Fairlane St. in Harrison.

Randi Shaffer is a reporter at the Morning Sun. She can be reached at 989-779-6059, rshaffer@michigannewpapers.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/randi.shaffer.